There’s a little-known feature on most iPhones that means you can identify plants in a second – and how did we not know that?
During Apple’s latest WWDC 2022 conference, they announced a host of new software features that will be included in their next software update later this year – namely – iOS 16. This will provide users with exciting new features like such as a highly customizable lock screen with new widgets, the ability to edit an iMessage after sending it, or even undo a sent text message entirely.
However, until these features are widely available to the public (probably at the end of the year), here are my favorites. iPhone hidden software features you probably don’t know about yet that are available now, on iOS 15.
Factory ID
OK, the name ‘Plant ID’ is dialed in – this feature is actually called ‘Visual Look Up’. Basically, I recently discovered that you can identify plants through the camera on a iPhone. All you have to do is take a picture of a plant or have a picture of a plant in your photo album and about 95% of the time the iPhone will be able to determine what it is.
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So, once you look at the plant image in your camera roll, look for the icons at the bottom of the screen. If you don’t see any icons, tap the screen. Then look for an icon with an “i” in a circle and what looks like stars or sparkles. If there are no stars or sparkles, your iPhone was unable to recognize the plant in the image – sometimes this could just be due to a blurry or dark image.
If you get the stars it means your iPhone was able to identify the image and if you tap that ‘i’ icon and then the text of the words ‘Look Up – Plant’ it should show you which type of plant is in your image and even some information about it. Very cool!
This feature also works with things like animals and artwork, but with the caveat that it’s only available in certain regions and only on iPhone XS, iPhone XR, or later. with iOS 15.
Face identification with mask or glasses
Now on iPhone 12 (or later) and iOS 15.4 or later, you can use Face ID while wearing a mask. All you have to do is go to settings, tap on Face ID & Passcode then scroll down to Use Face ID with Mask. Then all you have to do is follow the on-screen instructions to set it up (which is just scanning your face). After that, you also have the option of adding glasses. This is incredibly useful for people who wear glasses or those who need to wear masks for work or wear them on the go. Or maybe you are just skiing.
Find on the page
If you’re researching and need to quickly find a particular topic while browsing the web, did you know that you can search for specific words on webpages in Safari? When browsing the web in the Safari app, click the share button at the bottom of the screen. It looks like a box with an arrow pointing up. Then scroll down to find the words “Search on page”. Tap it and then you can search for a word you want to find. This will then highlight the word wherever it appears on the page and you can use the arrows to switch between where they are on the page.
Private tabs
If you want to search for something embarrassing or maybe something personal, did you know that there is an incognito feature on your iPhone? It’s available in Safari and if you’re using private browsing mode, Safari won’t remember the pages you’ve visited (i.e. it won’t save browser history) or information. autofill you used, after closing the tab in incognito mode.
It can be accessed by opening Safari, finding the double square icon in the lower right corner of the screen and pressing and holding it (long press). Then you can select private browsing mode. To exit private browsing mode, tap the same double square icon and click the word Private at the bottom of the screen and return to your other tabs. Good navigation.
Elly Awesome is an Australian tech and lifestyle vlogger | @elyawesometech | Youtube
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